https://78.media.tumblr.com/732231059bcc05090193cdcec9faad8d/tumblr_oxc1eb6q3O1rzshiso1_1280.jpg
An attempt at replicating the Ukiyo-e feel of artists like Kawase Hasui, and Hiroshi Yoshida.
I think...

Nope. All brush work.
For color-picking, it's all about the environment. For example, the desert one, I used cooler colors for the shadows, since the shadows are getting some light from the sky, and...